Cover plate for display cases



Nov. 10,1925- 1 ,2 0

c E. WICKE COVER PLATE FOR DIPLAY CASES Original Filed-May 15. 1924 INVENTOR CHARLES E. WICKE BY Wn Qku ATTQRNEY Patented Nov. 10, 1925.

U'N ET ED '5 T if fiATiiiV-l" QFFHCE.

CHARLES E. WICK E, Q MQTINT VEENON, NEW,YOE5LK, ASSIGNOR TO A. C. WICKE MANUFACTURING cor/tram, osiiew roux, n. Y., a ooaroaarxon or new YORK.

GOVERIPLATE FOR DISPLAY CASES.

o i l application filed May 15 1924, Serial No. 713,393. I Divided and this application filed April 6,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. VIOKE, a

' citizen of the United States, and a resident of 1258- East 4th Street, Mount Vernon, WVestchester County, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improve ment in Cover Plates for Display Cases, of which the following is-a specification.

The present application is a division of my copending application Serial Number 713,393, filed May 15, 1924-, for display cases.v r

This invention relates to cover plates for display cases and more particularly to a cover plate which is designed to serve as a protector f or the woodwork and as a support for the trays and the sliding doors.

An object ofmy invention is to provide a more sanitary anddurable cover plate for 'display cases. I

Anotherobject of my invention is to provide a seamlesscover plate which combines trackage facilities for the sliding doors of display cases.

A further object of my invention is to improve the track portion of a display case .so that such I portion constitutes a cover plate to prevent the wooden base portion of the case from deterioratingand which also ,servesas a Support for one end ofthe .l'emovable trays employed in such cases.

A more specificobiect of my invention is .to provide a protection cover plate for a display case which functions to furnish trackagej for the sliding doors and to prevent theirdisplacement andalso to support one end of the removable trays utilized therein.

Other objectsof my invention will be apparent as the description proceeds.

1 Show cases as generally employed for the display of meats, and other perishable prod ucts are so constructed that the articles may readily be exhibited, this being accomplished by making the enclosing walls about, the articles ofv glassb Access is had .to the inside of the case by means of sliding doors which are movable on tracks secured to the lower wooden base structure of the case. Since a show case. of the above type is located in a store where the surrounding atmosphere is more or less heated, it. is neeessary, tov provide the case with an ice compartment or other cooling means.

.A prerequisite of show cases in which ,foodproducts, are kept is sanitation, and

Serial No. 21,157.

tween and around the tracks upon which the doors of the case slide. It has been found that this exposed portion of woodwork became foul owingto the fine particles of food,

such as meat or vegetables, accumulating thereon, which resulted in the woodwork rotting and emanating ofiensive odors, thus defeating one of the important purposes for which such show cases were primarily designed.

The present invention aims to prevent the abovedisadvantages by providing a cover.

plate for the heretofore exposedwoodwork and combines with the cover plate one or more tracks upon which the doors may ride. In addition to the combination of the cover plate and tracks, the invention also provides a ledge or supportwhich serves as one portion of a tray rest. The cover. plate is so designed as to also furnish a stop so as .to

prevent movement of the doors from their position on the tracks.

The present invention, therefore, not only promotes the sanitary conditions of the display case but serves mechanically as a smooth-running track for the doors.

The cover plate and track is, in accordance with my invention, so constructed that it may be produced in the form of a continuous strip of any desirable length as an article of manufacture and the strips may thus be sold in commerce to be cut to size on the job where the strip is to be used.

When the present invention is incorporated in a show case the appearance of the structure is not only enhanced, but greater rigidity and general structural strength is added as well as, the elimination of many corners and crevices which have heretofore served, to collect dirt and moisture which v give'rise to obnoxious-odors. For the purposes of further enhancing the usefulness of my str p or plate, I may make the; same of a material impervious to moisture and nonrcorrosive, as for example, of vMonel met al and the like.

The invention will. be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a cover plate embodying my invention, and

Fig. 2 is sectional view of a portion of a show case showing the present invention on an enlarged scale, and also showing, in dotted lines, the operative relation thereto of sliding doors. i

In the drawing the present invention is shown as manufactured for use in connection with display cases and is also shown in place to cover an edge of a wall of a compartment to protect the same and to provide guides for sliding doors.

The selected embodiment of the present invention may comprise a strip 2 suitably shaped to serve as a cover for an edge 3 of a wall l ofthe supporting structure of a show case.

The strip 2 may be of sheet metal shaped to provide one or more rails or tracks 6 to slidably support doors 7 and 8 shown in dotted lines inFig. 2. The doors may be provided withgrooved edges to receive the tracks or when desirable may be provided with rollers in the usual manner to traverse the tracks (5.

The doors 7 and 8 when constantly used, as is the case when the display case is in a store, are subjected to considerable misdirected force to effect their edgewise movement, which force results in a side thrust tending to derail the doors. The present invention, however, provides ridge or stop 9 so positioned as to be in close proximity to the doors and to receive the side thrust, thus preventing the doors from leaving the rails.

The invention further provides a ledge 1]. which in conjunction with a ledge which may be provided on the side of the compartment opposite to the doors serves to support trays 12. For the purpose of effectively covering the edge 3 of the wall 4t of the wooden structure, the strip 2 may include flanges 13 and 14. The flange 1 L is positioned to overlap the edge of a metallic lining 15 covering the inner side of the wall 4 and permitting any condensate which may accumulate upon the ledge to flow into the compartment of the show case and drain off through the outlet pipe as commonly pro vided. I

The present invention may of course be applied to many types of display cases where sliding doors are employed, and it has been found to be of great advantage in con nection with display cases for exhibiting perishable articles such as meats, fish, and produce of various kinds.

The formation of a metallic cover plate in combination with tracks, stop and tray-support reduces the number of separate parts heretofore required and at the same time improves the appearance and sanitary condition of a display case. The importance of the invention frpm a hygienic standpoint alone can readily be appreciated and when combined with its mechanical features makes the invention a valuable advance in the art.

It is'to be appreciated that the strip 2 may be manufactured by a tool and die or rolling operation and that any desirable lengths may be supplied, it merely being necessary for the manufacturer of display cases to cut the strips to the desired lengths to adapt them to cases of any special type or length. Furthermore, it is obvious that the older types of cases may be remodeled to the extent of having the strips substituted for their present construction.

Although a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated and described, it is obvious that those skilled in the art may modify the same, however, such modifications as come within the terms of the appended claims are contemplated as falling within the scope of my invention.

hat I claim is:

1. A combined cover plate and track for display cases, comprising an elongated strip of metal having a flat body portion, two downwardly extending flanges engaging the sides of said body portion and integral therewith, two longitudinal corrugations pressed outwardly from said flat body'portion in a direction opposite to said flanges, and another longitudinal corrugation extending outwardly from adjacent the edge of said flat body portion in the same di-' rection as said first mentioned corrugations, said first-mentioned corrugations adapted to serve as tracks and said last-mentioned corrugation adapted to serve as a stop.

2. A combined cover plate and track for display cases, comprising an elongated strip of metal having a fiat body portion two downwardly extending flanges engaging the side of said body portion and integral therewith, two longitudinal corrugations pressed outwardly from said flat body portion in a direction opposite to said flanges, another longitudinal corrugation extending outwardly from adjacent the edge of said flat body portion in thesame direction as said first mentioned corrugations, and a ledge extending outwardly from said last-mentioned corrugation for supporting a tray.

3. A combined cover plate and track for display cases and the like, comprising a flat strip of metal having a plurality of corrugations pressed outwardly therefrom to form tracks upon which doors may slide, another corrugation pressed outwardly from said strip of metal and disposed adjacent the inner edge thereof to serve as a stop to prevent displacement of said doors, said strip also being provided with means adjacent its in her edge to form a shelf for trays and the like.

4. A combined cover plate and track for display cases and the like, comprising a flat strip of metal having angular flanges along its longitudinal edges to furnish means for securing the cover plate to an object, and a plurality of longitudinal corrugations pressed outwardly from said strip of metal 10 in a direction opposite to said fianges and a shelf intermediate one of said corrugations and one of said flanges and adapted to serve as a support for a tray.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto I subscribed my name this 2 day of April, 1925.

CHARLES E. WICKE. 

